OSHA Forms a New Alliance with AFSA
from AFSA – Oct. 15, 2008
A new Alliance was formed between the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) to address reducing and preventing exposure to material handling, as well as fall hazards and issues related to motor vehicle safety. More

Fire Sprinklers Do Their Job in Stateline, Nev., Apartment
from Tahoe Daily Tribune – Oct. 13, 2008
A Stateline, Nev., resident who reportedly disabled his home’s smoke detectors because they were making noise is likely now grateful that the apartment was equipped with fire sprinklers. Tahoe Douglas fire officials are crediting the sprinklers with averting a tragedy when a stovetop fire broke out. The fire sprinklers doused the blaze, and the occupants were awakened by the sprinkler system’s water-flow alarm, which sounds when a sprinkler discharges. More

Longview, Texas, Fire Department Demonstrates Sprinkler Effectiveness
from Longview News-Journal – Oct. 12, 2008
Longview firefighters conducted a controlled burn to demonstrate the efficiency of home sprinkler systems, said Fire Marshal Thomas Mock. "There are between 3,000 and 4,000 deaths each year in the United States due to fires, and the majority of those are in home fires," Mock said. "Victims are usually children, the elderly or handicapped people." A combination of sprinklers and smoke alarms can improve the survival rate of home fires by 82 percent, he said. More

Seniors Left Homeless after Sprinklerless Complex Goes Up in Flames
from The Greenville News – Oct. 13, 2008
Residents of Heatherwood Apartments in Anderson, S.C., were homeless after a "suspicious" fire destroyed much of a senior-living complex during the night. The building was not equipped with a sprinkler system, which Abraham said was not a code violation because when the apartments were constructed, sprinklers were not required. "If this building had been sprinklered, as with most residential structure fires, the damage would have been minimal and the occupants would have been eating breakfast at their breakfast tables, not dislodged for probably months," city fire chief Jack Abraham said. More

Haunted House Burns Due to Lack of Sprinklers
from The Brownsville Herald – Oct. 8, 2008
Thrill-seekers will have to somehow make it through Halloween without a downtown Brownsville, Texas, haunted house because the attraction was destroyed by fire. Because the haunted house had been open to the public in the past, fire marshals had been conducting regular inspections for the past two years, Fire Chief Mike Rinaldi said. Owner John Cook said most of the wiring had already been upgraded and electricians were in the process of installing security lights required by fire marshals when the fire broke out. “We were getting everything into compliance (with city codes)," Cook said. Deputy Fire Chief Frank Garcia said he had been in discussions with city planning officials and it was likely owner John Cook would have been required to install a sprinkler system before next Halloween. Although no other injuries were reported, Cook received minor injuries, but had not yet sought medical care. More

Sprinkler Puts Out Sears Store Fire
Clay Today – Oct. 13, 2008
A fire at a Sears Service Center in Orange Park, Fla., that started in a TV caused minor damage to the store. “No one was hurt,” said District Manager Chuck Salwanger. “The sprinkler system put out the fire,” he said. More